Napkin dispenser



Aug. 30, 1932. ca. A. sHAFFER ET Al.

NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed July 8. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l z 7 a 4 4 M 4 n fl/lnlllllllll/flll A TTORNEYJ Aug. 30, 1932. G. A. sHAFFER ET AL NAPKINDISPENSER Filed July E5. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M r...! en `www m WMM mMAW. f1 N fm 6% Aug 30, 1932- G. A. sHAFFER ET Al. 1,874,642

NPKIII DISPENSER Filed July a. '1927 4 sheets-sheet 3 J0 la7 g1 "'f-g';

I q o 87 l l 1% 'I n o l T1 ii :i: F129' 10 T- 51928. t: l' "6.9

l l @s 5H V55 H l ll I l l O l [58 if; ,j; Y.. 68

fff/

` Aug- 30, 1932. G. A. sHAFFER ET AL NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed July 8. 19274 sheets-sneek 4 A TTORNEYI` Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES`PATENT OFFICE GLEN N A. SHAFFER AND FRANKLIN H. WIRTZ, F GREEN BAY,WISCONSIN, ASSIG-NORS T0 FORT HOWARD PAPER. COMPANY, OF GREEN BAY,WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F WISCONSIN i y d `NAIKIN DISPENSERApplication led July [8, 192?. Serial No. 204,295.

The invention relates to fixtures for dis- Y pensing paper napkins orvthe like and has as an object the provision in such a fixture 0f theupright varietyof means to feed the napkins toward the dispensing faceof the fixture. y y

It is a further object of the inventionto provide a fixture which isconvenient for replacement of sheets therein. n

Further objects of the invention will appear from thefollowing'description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings lshowing illustrative embodiment of the invention and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fac/e'view;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig.r1; y Y

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

zo Y Fig. 4 is a detail section on line4-f4 of Fig. 1, all one form ofthe invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a second form of the invention; y

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 6-.6 of

g5 Fig. 5

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line 7-7 of Fig. 5; v

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. G; y

Fig. 9 is a side elevationV of a still further modification Fig. 10 is avertical section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9'; n

Fig. 11 is the front modification; y y

Fig. 12 is vertical section on line 12e-12 of Fig. 11; y v

Fig. 13 is a rear elevation of a further modilied form of the invention;

Fig. 14 is a vertical section on line 14-.14 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a front elevation of the form of Fig.13 upon a reduced scale;y

Fig. 16 is a detail horizontal section on line 16-16 of Fig. 14; and

Fig. 17 is a front elevation of a form of folded napkin ,adapted to bedispensed by the form of the device illustrated in Figures 13 to 16Vinclusive.

elevation of a further 50 Y As shown'in Figu7 es 1 lto 4 inclusive thedevice comprises an upright fixture adapted to dispense sheets fromeither face thereof and comprises an upright casing 2O desirably formedwith a rounded top 21 and side walls 22; 23. To assist in the feeding ofthe napkins toward the respective faces of the lixture, the bottom asshown is formed of two sloping portions 24, 25 indicated as securedbetween the side walls 22, 23 by means of flanges 26, 27, turneddownwardly from the material of the bottom portions and riveted orelectric welded to said side walls.

To feed sheets forwardly in the fixture toward each face thereof, thereare shown sliding plates 28, 29 guided in their sliding movement by waysin the form of flat ribs 30, 31, and 32, 33. To coact with the ways heplates 28, 29, which are formed of a width to have a sliding lit betweenthe side walls 22, 23, are formed with notches to t over the ribs, oneof which notches is indicated at 34; Figure 4.

To permit filling of the fixture with napkins there are shown doors 35,36 hinged to `the respective sides of the fixture as at 37, 3S, thedoors formed with side flanges 39, 40 overlapping the side walls 22, 23when in Closed position as shown in Figure 3. To retain the doors intheir closed posit-ion, the upper ends of flanges 39, 40 are formed withindentations 41, each forming a boss upon the interior ofthe flange,which bosses snap into indentations 42 in the side walls when the doorsare closed.

To permit removal of napkins from the fixture, the doors are shown asformed with openings 43; the upper and lower edges of the openings beingdesirably curved outwardly as shown at 44, 45. The side edges of theopenings are shown as curved first inwardly as shown at 4G and againturned outwardly ask shown at 47. rlhe inturned portions 46 of the dooropenings thus press upon the vertical edges of the folded sheets 48 inthe receptacle to cause the ends of the sheets to be iirst pulled freetherefrom.

The sheets to be dispensed from the xture are preferably such as arefolded to present an intermediate tab adjacent the center portion of theface of the sheet to be grasped by the user for withdrawal of the sheet.The edges of two such tabs are indicated at 49, 50 in Figure 1 of thedrawings. To prevent the lower ends of the napkins from slippingforwardly in the fixture when the doors 3,5, 36 are opened, the slopingbottoms 24, 25 lare shown as formed with lugs 51, 52 struck upwardlyupon the material thereof, which lugs also stop forward movement ofplates 28, 29, when the fixture. is empty. The lugs 51, 52 are shown asstanding substantially in the plane of the inturned portions 46 of thedoors. `The fixture may be formed with an exterior bottom 53 providedwith sup- 16 `porting bosses 54, 55.

VThe form of the invention of Figures 5 to 8 inclusive is shown ascomprising side walls 60, 61, a top 62 rigidly carried by said sidewalls, the edges ofthe top down-turned as at 63, 64 and the marginsthereof as turned outwardly as at 65,66 to provide an upper edge of the.opening from which the sheets may be extracted;vv The faces of this formof the invention are left entirely open at the sides with the exceptionof the inturned flanges 67, 68 shown as integral with the side wall 60,61 and sloping bottom portions 69, 70 are shown as secured between theside walls by means of flanges 71, 72 secured to the side walls.Toretain the bottoni ends of the sheets in this form of the receptacle,there are shown flaps 73, 74 hinged as at 75, 76, to the side wall, theupper margins 77, 78 of the flaps beingcurved outwardly as shown. 5

To support the fixture shown by this form of the invention and to retainthe flaps in closed position, their lower edges are shown as turnedoutwardly at substantially right angles as at 7 9, 80, supporting blocks81 beingk desirably provid-ed upon the ksupporting fianges. f

This form of the invention is also provided with plates 28', 29 guidedin ways 30', 31, 32', 33 in the form'similar to that shown inl Figures 1to 4 inclusive.

This form of the invention may bevlilled with napkins by laying thefixture down upon one of its faces and turning the upper '-50 flapoutwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 when thesheets may be slipped under the flanges 67, 68 and under flange 63 or 64when the bottom of the sheets may be slipped into the receptacle and the5v5 Hap closed. Contact of iianges 79, 80 or the curved inwardly. Thisdoor is hinged to the receptacle as at 91, 92 and acts in all respectssimilar to the doors 35, 36 already described. The form of the inventionshown in Figures 11 and 12 comprises a frame formed of a cen- 70 tralupright inverted U-shaped member shown as formed with a central rib 101,flanked by fiange members 102, 103 and other upright members 104, 105,lying in the plane of flanges 102, 103. The ways 30, 31, 32, 75 33 aresupported upon the `frame provided by thecentral upright 100 and theside uprights 104, 105. The casing of the fixture is formed by box-likemembers 106, 107 hinged to the lower ends of the upright 100 as indi- 80cated at 108, 109and'having their open sides telescoping with theflanges 102, 103, the outerr sides of the members 106, 107 being formedwith the openings 110 to permitl the withdrawal of the napkins, themargins kof the y85 openings being outwardly curved as at 111, 112,113,.

This form of the device is shown as provided with sliding plates 28, 29,cooperating with theways 31"-33 inclusive as in 9,9 the forms of theinvention already described.

Thefform yof the invention shown in Figures 13y to 16 inclusive isVdesigned for the dispensing of a ycornucopiafolded napkin such asshownin F igure`17 packaged with 95 the lfolded sheets in. interfoldedrelation as indicated in Figure 16 wherein the flap-115 of each napkinoverl-ies lthe flap 116 and the body ofthe preceding napkin whereby theextraction of `oneof the folded sheets will ,100 bring the flap of thesucceeding sheet into the position to be grasped by the hand of theuser. 1

- In this form of the device the fixture comprises a frame formed ofdownwardly slop- 2.105 ing bars 117, 118, and 119, 120, the bars 119,120 being formed of angles as shown in Figure 16, which bars support theways 121, the ways cooperating with the sliding plate 122 to feed thenapkins forwardly inthe recep- ,U0 tacle. Between the bars 117 to 120inclusive at their lower ends there is shown trough-like member 123 forsupport of the apex of the napkins, the trough downwardly andk forwardlysloping as n Figure 14.y f

The frame thus described is shown as covered by an outer casing 124curved at itsupper portion to provide aV pleasing appearance, slopingdownwardly and inwardly at its side portions'which are secured to theframe al- 120 ready described and then curving outwardly as at 125, 126,and formed with vertical sides 127, 128 of a base formed with bottom129, thus enclosing the trough 123.

The front 130 of the receptacle is formed as '125 shown in Figure 15 andis provided with side vflan es 131, 132 to over-lap the side walls ofthe Xture, the top of the same overlapping the curved upper portion asshown at 133.

To permit withdrawal of napkins from the fixture the front 130 is shownas formed with a vertical slot 134 desirably having its marginsoutwardly curved as indicated at 135 ,from which the tabs 115 of thenapkins project for withdrawal from the fixture.

To prevent the escape of plate 122 from the rear of the fixture thereare shown pins 136 projecting from the frame members 117, 118.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiments of the inventionwithin the scope of the appended claims without departure from thespirit thereof.

We claim:

1. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing, upper andlower downwardly and forwardly sloping ways carried by the side walls ofthe casing, a vertical sliding plate notched about said ways, an upperand a lower shoulder provided by each of the notches, one of saidshoulders coacting with each of the upper and the lower surfaces of eachof said ways to retain the plate in vertical position during its slidingmovement, said casing having an opening in its face toward which sheetsmay be urged by said plate and through which said sheets may bewithdrawn.

2. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing, upper andlower downwardly and forwardly sloping ways carried by the side walls ofthe casing adjacent the top and bottom thereof, each of said wayscomprising a bar secured flat-wise to the inner surface of the walls, avertical sliding plate fitting transversely within said casing and.having notches tting about said plate, each vnotch providing shoulderscoacting with the upper and lower surfaces respectively of each of saidways coacting with said ways to preserve the vertical position of theplate during `its sliding movement, said casing provided with an openingin its face toward which ,'sheets may be urged by said plate and through,which said sheets may be withdrawn.

3. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination: a casing, upper andlower downwardly and forwardly sloping ways carried Eby the side wallsof the casing; a vertical sliding plate in said casing; and meanscarried by the vertical edges of said plate providing tongue and groovecoaction with said ways Ilwhereby the means carried by the edges of theplate coact with the upper and the lower surface of the ways to retainthe plate in ver- ,tical position during its sliding movement;

.said casing having an opening in its face toward which the sheets maybe urged by said @plate and through which said sheets may be withdrawn.

GLENN A. SHAFFER. FRANKLIN H. WIRTZ.

